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[Butterfly]

If God knew everything when he created the universe and had the ability to make it differently, wouldn't that make free will for impossible for anyone but God?

[jimwalton]

> If God knew everything when he created the universe

I will certainly agree with this clause.

> had the ability to make it differently

Um, this one is questionable. I think it can be reasonably defended that this is the best of all possible worlds, so if it's true that God could make less than the best, why would He?

• There can possibly be reasons to allow suffering and evil in the world and the Creator still be good.
• A dynamic world is superior to a static one.
• Odd as it is to ponder, without the possibility of evil and lacking the benefits of a dynamic world, life in our present context would not and could not exist.
• God can utilize evil without being personally unjust.
• A world with free will is better than a world of robotic humanoids who really have no humanity (no reason, no love, no kindness, no science, no justice, no learning, no emotion).

Therefore it's possible this is the best possible world God could have created.

• Our ability as human beings to reason is grounded in free will. There is no better choice than for God to invest humankind with free will.
• Even the possibility of evil is not a strong enough reason to refrain from giving humans free will, because, as any surgeon will tell you, pain and suffering are sometimes necessary to produce morally good results.
• A world in which God stopped all free will and all suffering would deprive us of everything except biology that defines humanity.
• In a world devoid of free will and suffering, the greatest human achievements of the sciences, arts, culture and civilization would never have come. Without obstacles, where would be medicine, science, law, criminal justice, construction, personal growth, morality and character?
• Therefore, God has created the best possible world.

> wouldn't that make free will for impossible for anyone but God?

I don't think so. This looks like a non sequitur to me. Here are the premises:

1. God knew everything when He created the universe.

2. God had the ability to make it differently, but didn't. He chose to make it the way it is.

3. Therefore, humans don't and can't have free will.

So, how does the conclusion derive from the premises? I'm not seeing it.